Dear fans,
It's been 1 year since the DLC got fully funded. The project turned more ambitious than I expected. This is the last time I work on Dark Nights content, so I want to wrap it up nicely. This is a long post about the current progress, art previews, character redraws, and more!
The script progress stages:
Chain: 50% proofreading
Roya: 50% proofreading
Secret: 30% writing
Extra stories: 10% writing
I finished writing Chain & Roya's storylines. Combined, it's about 155k words. Once the DLC is finished, the word count will likely increase to around 200k. The main game, with 4 routes + extra stories, was around 270k words. This means, the DLC is longer per route and has more choices.
I read all the reviews on Steam of the main game. The main critique is that the heroine makes bad decisions. I want to improve my writing by adding more inner monologues and menu choices. While the DLC storylines follow a similar plotline, I wrote an entirely new prologue with more menu choices. The order of meeting characters and their location are different too. You don't have to play the main game to enjoy the DLC. However, I added details that make it fun for returning players.
The interface gets an update. I went for a minimalistic style with a focus on art. Many requested the main character's face in the bottom corner. You can toggle it on and off. Other functions are the same.
In the DLC you'll explore different places. The screenshot below is from Roya's office. I like old-fashioned interiors. Some backgrounds get animated because I want to blow life into this world!
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New sky backgrounds
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Redraw of the whole cast with mystery characters
Zeikun | Junoru | MC (Miyoko) | Sachiro | Kurato
Roya | Chain | Ikuya | Lioji | Kaichi
Hanaru | Dezem | Jace | Blace | Mr Shinen
Kaichi | Rasumi
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CG PREVIEWS
Current CG art progress 5/36. The final number may turn out more because I plan to add sketches and simpler scenes.
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Animated trailer
I'm working on an animated trailer for the DLC. These are some sneak peeks! It's been years since I animated anything. Although, I'm having fun picking up this skill again! I want to create more dynamic compositions next.
In my last announcement, I planned the release around 31st October to celebrate Dark Night's 4th anniversary. However, my schedule got quite packed in the second half of the year. It impacted my health and I injured my arm from overworking. I'm doing much better now, although the workload will be high this year.
Anyway, this wraps up the current progress. Thank you for your patience and continuous support!
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